From Darkness to Light: Helping a Blind Child to See
Eight-year-old Maryam was blind and had not been able to experience the colourful world since she lost her sight at the age of nine months. Her family members usually helped her move from one place to another. Maryam also experiences a speak impediment. Unable to see and to speak properly, Maryam was excluded from the games the children would play in her community.
“We helped her when she wanted to move somewhere,” Maryam’s mother, 40-year-old Dada Gul, said. “She cannot speak properly, except a few words, and for that reason, other children would not play with her. They often offended her by calling her crazy.”
Maryam and her five siblings live with their parents in a district of Herat province. Her father is a carter and makes around US$2 per day on a good day. Other days, he makes nothing. One of Dada Gul’s sons works in a shop and receives a weekly salary of US$11. Her two older sons are paralysed, and a few months ago, she lost her 14-year-old son to cancer.
All the family income is spent on food with nothing leftover for Maryam’s treatment. “Most of the time we eat bread with tea and even finding that is difficult. I suffer a lot because of poverty and, especially, Maryam’s condition, but I can do nothing for her,” said Maryam’s mother.
Due to poverty, similar to millions of families, Dada Gul was also forced to send her son to work at a young age. Her son went to a neighbouring country for work, hoping to earn money to treat Maryam and to ensure sufficient food for the family. However, he was deported, and they lost the earned money, as they had to pay the trafficker.
Treatment for Maryam’s condition seemed unattainable. However, Dada Gul did not give up, “I’ll wait until God helps us!”
After a while, she heard about the Street Working Children Enrichment Centre (SWCEC), run by World Vision Afghanistan (WVA). Here the most vulnerable children are provided with healthcare, education and counselling services. Dada Gul decided to take Maryam to the centre.
“When Dada Gul brought Maryam here,” said Shabana,* a WVA physician in SWCEC, “We referred her to a hospital that cooperates with WVA to see if her sight can be returned.”
Dada Gul takes Maryam to the hospital with both hopeful and pessimistic questions running through her head: Will she be able to see? What if the doctor says she will never be able to see? What if she can be treated, but the treatment costs too much? Where will I get the money?
After consultation, the doctor said, “Maryam will be able to see everything!”
Despite the good news, Dada Gul was still unsure of how much the treatment would cost and if the centre would cover all of it or just a portion of it. “Where will I find the rest if the centre is paying for part of it? I cannot contribute a Qeran [cent],” she thought.
When Dada Gul returned to the centre to tell Shabana about the results of the consultation, she mentioned her financial constraints.
“We assured her not to worry about the costs because SWCEC will pay it,” Shabana said.
The arrangements were made. As the day of operation approached, Dada Gul and her family anxiously awaiting the moment Maryam could see the world.
Dada Gul accompanied Maryam to the hospital. After a few hours of surgery, the surgeon appeared and reported that the surgery was successful.
“I was very happy! I felt as if I were the luckiest mother in the world when I saw my daughter open her beautiful eyes,” she recalled.
It has been three months since the operation. Maryam can now walk without support, play with children and fully enjoy her life. “Those children who would offend Maryam before, they play with her now and run together, play together and laugh together,” Maryam’s mother told us, delighted. Maryam no longer has to touch objects to know what they are, and she is able to move through the world without being led.
“World Vision did not only help Maryam see the world, but they also brought happiness to our family. They are in my mind 24 hours a day. I pray for them and thank them for what they did for Maryam,” said Dada Gul.
World Vision’s support did not end with Maryam’s surgery. She continues to receive care and support from SWCEC, including medicine and treatment for general ailments.
WVA is grateful to World Vision Korea for enabling us to support thousands of children like Maryam every year through SWCEC.
* Name changed to protect identities.